33
Chapter 33
As soon as I opened the door to the room, my eyes fell on a suspicious man pointing a Dagger at Eileen.
"What-"
Before I could finish my sentence, the man looked my way and clicked his tongue. Then, he swung the Dagger without hesitation.
"Eek!"
Eileen reflexively dodged. The tip of the Dagger sliced through the empty air.
She was quickly cornered in the room, and the man lunged at her again without hesitation.
In that split second, I instinctively reached out. A Condensation of Mana formed at my fingertips.
[Water Bullet]
After a short Condensation, a mass of water shot out and struck the man squarely in the shoulder.
"Ugh!"
The man groaned and crashed into the wall.
Seizing the opportunity, Eileen stumbled toward me.
I quickly wrapped my arms around her and stepped back.
The man gritted his teeth, glared at us, and spat out a low curse.
"Damn it... There was no mention of a Magician..."
He clutched his shoulder, quickly dashed to the window, and threw himself out.
Thud, a heavy sound came from below the window, followed by the startled screams of passersby.
I instinctively thought about going after him, but I gave up as soon as I saw the drop from the window.
I would probably break a bone if I jumped down with this body.
"Haa..."
Beside me, Eileen grabbed my sleeve with trembling hands.
I slowly caught my breath and looked down at her.
"Riv... Thank you..."
At her trembling voice, I gave a brief nod.
"Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?"
Eileen shook her head, tears welling up in her eyes.
For a moment, we both stood still in the room, silently breathing.
...Who was it? Why were they after Eileen?
They were too relentless to be a simple robber, and his last words stated that there was 'no mention of a Magician.'
It was obvious that someone had hired him.
Uneasy thoughts squirmed in my head.
I think I've gotten myself involved in the wrong mess.
I glanced around the room for no reason and spoke softly to Eileen.
"Lock the door securely before you sleep tonight."
Eileen nodded wordlessly.
Like that, we welcomed the late night, still unable to shake off the tension.
This... wasn't something I could just overlook.
A Killer targeting Eileen, someone who commissioned them, and the circumstances surrounding Eileen.
'When I wake up tomorrow, I should talk more with Eileen.'
I made that resolve as I laid my body on the Bed.
From here on out, it might no longer be a simple search request.
***
"Do you really not know?"
The next morning, I asked carefully as I sat side-by-side with Eileen eating in the Inn's Dining Room.
I definitely needed to get to the bottom of this.
We hadn't even drawn up a Contract, and if this job was too dangerous... I had to consider backing out if necessary.
Hearing my words, Eileen's hand holding the Spoon trembled slightly. She hesitated for a moment before finally letting out a small sigh and opening her mouth.
"Well, the truth is, I..."
While listening to her story, I stopped tearing the bread in front of me and listened quietly.
...To be honest, it was a very troubling story.
Eileen actually grew up under her Mother, who worked as a Maid for a Baron's Family.
Her Mother cherished and raised her as she lived her life learning housework in the castle, but one day, an incident occurred.
Strange rumors began to circulate after the Baron's two Sons died suddenly in an accident.
The rumor was none other than the fact that Eileen was an Illegitimate Child born between the Baron and the Maid.
Not long after that rumor spread, Eileen's Mother lost her life in a mysterious accident.
And from then on, all sorts of misfortune befell Eileen as well.
In the end, it was a story about how she barely escaped the castle with the help of 'Sir Chad', a Knight working for the Baron's Family.
To sum it up in one word, she was caught up in a succession battle of a Noble family.
...Ah, no wonder they paid so generously when I first received the commission.
I took a brief breath and asked.
"Does... an Illegitimate Child even receive succession rights?"
Eileen cautiously looked around and spoke in a low voice.
"From what I heard... after the second Young Master, the Baron fell critically ill."
Aha, meaning his body is no longer in a condition to produce a Successor.
Then I guess it's entirely possible for the succession rights to fall to Eileen.
I'm not from around here, so I don't know the details either.
I tapped my fingers as I organized my thoughts.
"Then the ones targeting you right now are...."
"...Madam Catalina."
Madam Catalina... Given the circumstances, she must be the Legal Wife.
When Eileen brought that up, a faint murderous intent flashed through her eyes for a moment.
She definitely said her Mother died in a 'mysterious accident', but it seemed the target of her revenge was already firmly decided.
I crossed my arms and fell into thought for a moment.
"Are we going to be plagued by assassination risks like this throughout the entire commission?"
At those words, Eileen immediately lowered her head and spoke quietly.
"...I'm sorry."
Her slightly shrunken shoulders made me feel bad for her.
She must be well aware that her personal circumstances could put me and my Party in danger.
Honestly speaking, taking on such a risk for a single Silver Coin feels like a bit of a loss....
Doubt washed over me about whether I should continue taking on this job.
I tilted my head slightly and asked.
"By any chance, do you have any future plans? For example, getting revenge, or just running away to live your life."
At my words, Eileen blinked as if slightly surprised, then quickly looked around before whispering in a very small voice.
"...I want to get revenge."
I raised an eyebrow slightly.
It was an unexpected answer.
"Then... the person you're looking for in the City, perhaps?"
Eileen gave a very faint smile and nodded.
"Yes, someone Sir Chad told me about... a trustworthy person."
Eileen nodded as she spoke, but a corner of my mind still felt uneasy.
Does that mean he introduced someone capable of acting as an Escort?
It must mean it's just that dangerous.
I organized my thoughts for a moment and took a large bite of bread.
...A Noble's fight, it makes my head hurt.
"By the way, how do you plan to get revenge?"
This was the most important part.
It's not like you can just storm the castle and start swinging a sword around.
"..."
Instead of answering, Eileen stared at me wordlessly for a moment.
In that instant, a strange sense of anxiety surged within me. Don't tell me, she actually plans to push through with brute force?
Or... maybe it's just hard for her to talk about.
It's understandable that she wouldn't easily confess her revenge plans to an outsider like me.
Eileen, who had been staring piercingly at me, asked in a very quiet voice.
"Can you... help me?"
What should I do?
Since it was a commission entrusted to me by Old Man Brigan, I did fulfill my responsibilities to some extent, but is there a need to get tangled up beyond that?
As if I looked like I was going to refuse at any moment, Eileen urgently added.
"Honestly, there is nothing I can give you right now. However... if I manage to succeed the title, I will definitely give you a solid reward."
Her face was filled with certainty.
She wasn't just after revenge, but ultimately aiming for the succession as well.
I felt it when I saw her before, but although she was reckless, she was definitely a woman with strong resolve.
So my answer is...
"I will help you."
It was to help Eileen.
!!
As if she hadn't expected to be accepted, Eileen's sharp eyes widened in surprise.
"R-really? Are you sure?"
I could tell how surprised she was by the way she double-checked.
Suddenly, I was reminded of a child I lived with in the orphanage in my previous life.
A child who was smaller and quieter than me, and who would cry secretly at night.
That face, which pretended nothing was wrong and smiled in the morning, overlapped with the current Eileen.
...Maybe that's why.
I couldn't just leave her behind.
But even so, I had no intention of getting swept up in a power struggle between Nobles.
"Let's go together. It'll be better than being alone."
Her eyes widened.
"Really? Thank you... truly..."
"However,"
I turned my head to look at her.
"I will only stay with you in dangerous situations like now. If things get too dangerous, or conversely, if they become safe enough... we will go our separate ways."
So, in other words, it was closer to a fixed-term Escort commission.
The conditions were even heavily favored towards my side.
A contract I could break anytime I felt it was dangerous.
Nevertheless, Eileen nodded without a word.
Her eyes wavered slightly, but she ultimately said nothing... she just smiled a little in gratitude.
A corner of my heart felt a bit uneasy for nothing, but....
Yeah, it should be fine if we draw the line here.
No matter how much of a Noble they are, they won't be able to step forward directly in this kind of matter.
"First, I think I need to hear your specific plan."
Eileen's expression stiffened somewhat when I brought it up.
Don't tell me...?
"Actually... I don't have everything figured out yet."
Unnecessarily honest. Should I tell her we're splitting up even now?
I pressed my temple hard with one hand.
Well, now that I've already opened my mouth, I can't exactly back out now.
As if feeling embarrassed, she chose her words for a moment before quietly continuing.
"First of all, we need to figure out what weaknesses they have. There might be a Document or evidence left behind proving they targeted me."
"Evidence?"
"Yes. We need to secure that to strike back. In Noble society, bloodshed is only a last resort anyway."
...Of course.
It wasn't a simple fight of killing and being killed.
This was an information war, a battle of justification.
"Isn't the fact that you were targeted by that guy yesterday evidence enough?"
"It is, but we would need to capture him and make him confess. On the surface, he's just a common robber."
"Then, what we need right now is to find that guy from yesterday."
"That's right. I can't do it alone... so could I ask for your help?"
I closed my eyes for a moment.
I ran the calculator in my head.
Risk, reward, probability.
...In the end, there was only one conclusion I could reach.
We've already come this far. It's too late to turn back.
Opening my eyes, I let out a small chuckle.
"Understood. But don't forget that dangerous work requires a corresponding price."
A look of relief spread across Eileen's face.
"Of course."
...A Noble's feud, an insidious political arena, and tracking down a Killer.
I had taken on an entirely different kind of commission than I was used to.
Will I be able to finish this safely too?
***
We finished our meal and left the Inn.
I briefly considered leaving Eileen at the Inn, but ultimately chose to take her with me.
I had to act as her Escort until we found the person she was introduced to.
If she's in danger no matter where she is, it's better to keep her where I can see her.
Our destination was the Commercial District.
I decided to get my Equipment sorted first, which was my original goal.
Time was on our side anyway.
Their objective was Eileen's life, and for us, all that mattered was keeping her alive.
Objectively speaking, if the critically ill Baron dies as time passes, we naturally win.
Of course, whether she, an Illegitimate Child, can be recognized as the Owner of the Baron's Family is a separate issue.
That was something she had to figure out on her own; I couldn't solve everything for her.
The Market of Mondak, which I was visiting after a long time, was still overflowing with vitality.
The voices of Merchants filled every corner of the streets, and people bustled about, looking at various goods.
I casually asked Eileen, who had her Robe pulled down low.
"Have you ever been to a place like this?"
Eileen shook her head slightly and answered in a small voice.
"No, I spent most of my time inside the castle... This is my first time."
That's surprising. No matter how much time she spent in the castle, I thought she would have visited at least once.
I wondered if this was the typical Noble culture in this world, or if Eileen's Mother had just tried hard to protect her daughter.
I glanced sideways at Eileen, who was looking around at everything in sheer fascination.
A small sigh escaped me at her complete lack of wariness.
'At this point, it feels like I'm the one being targeted.'
Following her as she bustled about looking this way and that, I felt like I had become her bodyguard.
"What did you come out here to buy"
After looking around on her own for a long time, Eileen finally asked me.
"We're out of Preserved Food so we need to restock, and I need to get some extra Equipment."
"Ah, Equipment..."
Hearing that, Eileen immediately turned her gaze toward the Equipment shops.
It was nice that she was observing so intently, but I wasn't sure what she could possibly judge by looking at them.
Honestly, things like that require experience.
While I was thinking that, I stopped in my tracks when I saw Eileen, who had been walking ahead, suddenly come to a halt.
She was staring at a Street Stall.
A Street Stall selling thin bread slathered with mashed fruit.
Eileen watched it for a long while, her eyes sparkling slightly.
"It's delicious. Buy one!"
When the Street Vendor woman cheerfully offered, Eileen rummaged through her Pouch as if possessed, but soon put on a dejected expression.
The clinking sound of Coins inside her Pouch could barely be heard.
Does she not have any money.
I naturally approached the Street Stall and handed over a Bronze Coin.
"Here, please give me two."
"Oh my, thank you! I'll get them ready right away!"
Eileen looked at my face as if surprised.
"A-Ah, no, I was going to buy them...!"
"It's fine. You can buy them next time."
I smiled and nodded.
A little while later, two warm pieces of bread were placed in my hand along with some change.
The refreshing scent of fruit tickled the tip of my nose.
Crunch.
Eileen held it in her hand, took a bite, and smiled brightly.
"It's delicious...!"
Watching her smiling face, I also took a bite.
Yeah, isn't this all just to eat and live.
Honestly, the bread I ate that day wasn't that good.
Only a dry, grainy smell lingered in my mouth, and the fruit on top was overly sour.
'I want to eat a Waffle filled with whipped cream....'
Sighing inwardly, I took another bite.
Since this was probably the most edible snack around here anyway.